sponsors

*

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Summer means lazy days and more importantly, the permission to enjoy them, guilt-free. "Rest is not idleness, to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time." (John Lubbock)

Paris Puts a New Twist on Old Dance StepsBalls are making a comeback in the City of Light, decades after their heyday. Once they were found everywhere in the working-class neighborhoods of Paris, and now their charms are being rediscovered by a new generation. Love this.

The Newspaper ClubHave you dreamed of publishing your very own newspaper? Now you can, with the Newspaper Club. Simply upload and lay out your words and pictures — or you can use the site to send them a PDF. They print every Tuesday afternoon, and you'll get your papers in about a week. Such a great idea. Via things magazine.

George and RosemaryFrom the National Film Board of Canada's amazing archives comes this classic from 1987, an animated short by Alison Snowden and David Fine that proves love doesn't come with a best before date. Sweet and funny.

Introducing the InterrobangGreat little New Yorker article by Deirdre Foley-Mendelssohn about a punctuation mark that never caught on — plus a link to a quiz that tests your knowledge of the more obscure punctuation forms. Thanks to Andrew for the link!

A History of Canned LaughterCanned laughter, that (rather annoying) feature of sitcoms since the beginning of TV, has been around a surprisingly long time — at least five hundred years. Fascinating glimpse into a little-examined aspect of the performing arts. Via The Morning News.

Long Lost Silent Films Return to AmericaIn 2009 Brian Meacham, a preservationist for the Los Angeles archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, decided to visit colleagues at the New Zealand Film Archive in Wellington while on vacation. There he was shown their huge archive of foreign films — left in the country after their initial runs simply because the studios didn’t want to pay for the return shipping. Some real gems have been rediscovered — hope we get to see these someday soon.

Easy Chocolate Ice CreamAnd this Saveur recipe really is easy — just blend, pour into a container and chill. No ice cream maker, no stirring. Amazing.

If you're in San Francisco in August, be sure to drop by at the new Guerrero Gallery, where Kareem Rizk will be showing five new larger works on canvas — check out their website for details. You can also find out what Kareem is doing by visiting his blog, called The Suitcase — and so exciting to see he's being featured in this month's Varoom magazine! Shown here is a collaboration that Kareem did with Eduardo Recife, available as a print from The Suitcase shop on etsy.